If Cam could actually make the ATP Finals and effectively move into the Top 10 in the world, it would show what an epic rise he has made this year. At the beginning of the year, he had firmly established himself as a solid pro; he had a CH of 41 and then was in the 70's after falling off a little and missing all sorts of chances due to COVID. But I wasn't expecting titles and finals and so many top-level upsets. A Top 10 player is usually held to different standards - they are expected to be legitimate threats to win any ATP250 tourney they enter and they should expect regular appearances in the quarters or above in ATP500's, ATP1000's and Slams. Is Norrie really at that level? We've been complaining about his Slam and other draws all year, but at Indian Wells, he got a very favorable draw and then, as if by magic, everything opened up and all the favorites lost (Medvedev, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Rublev, Ruud) and Cam, I think, kind of lucked into the title. Is it that the breaks are finally kind of evening out or has his game really improved that much?
In the race to Turin, he's 10th. 8 will be invited but not Nadal, so 9th is the goal. In the ATP rankings, he's 14th, but that's partially because he's still fighting the 104-week roll which is now probably down to a 80-90 week roll. I think he'll likely finish in the Top 10 in the year-end rankings. But he's got to play like a Top 10 player over the next few weeks and win the early rounds over lower-ranked opponents with relative ease at Vienna, Paris and Stockholm. Fucsovics is the first opponent this week. In February, I would have been concerned about whether Norrie would win; Fucsovics is ranked #39th, with a CH of #31. Hungary isn't all that far or different than Austria (for a long time, they shared a European Empire); he'll be the home favorite. It's scheduled for 7:20 a.m. (CDT).
Norrie was named today to the British Davis Cup team to play in the Davis Cup Finals in late November. He's the highest ranked Brit and will lead the team; Murray wasn't selected. He'll be expected to play in singles in two matches in each of the ties that Britain will play. It's an 18-team event and the Brits will open at Innsbruck in their group matches against France and Czechia.
